“We’re not a Cinderella team,” River Ridge/Scales Mound first-year coach Jeremy Knauer said. “I knew we were good enough talent to win.”

Or maybe you can.

“I’d say so,” Wildcats winning pitcher Austin Ertmer said. “We’ve got three good pitchers that have been awesome for us and that’s what’s going to keep us going.”

Perhaps the little engine that could?

Whatever you call RR/SM, the Wildcats earned title of sectional champions following a 1-0 win against Aquin on Saturday.

It’s been a season of firsts for RR/SM (14-9) after earning its first regional and sectional championships, beating Lena-Winslow (20-4), Eastland (15-8) and Aquin (18-3) in the process. Ertmer was the second pitcher to throw a complete-game shutout in the sectional, holding the Bulldogs to just three hits.

Josh Crist threw a one-hitter against Eastland in the sectional semifinal.

Two of those hits were given up in the first inning. In the sixth, Aquin managed to get two runners on again with two outs.

“I just stayed calm on the mound,” Ertmer said. “You can’t let things frustrate you. I just focused my way through it and got the outs I needed. And we ended up all right.”

RR/SM scored its lone run in the second inning. Right fielder Sam Veltkamp singled, stole second and advanced to third base on a fielding error. Catcher Brett Brown drove Veltkamp home on a grounder.

“It was awesome,” Ertmer said.

Losing pitcher Adam Feiner pitched well otherwise, despite giving up three leadoff singles for the game. It didn’t hurt that his defense turned three double plays and center fielder Zach Moyer made a diving catch in the sixth inning.

“Our defense played well and got us out of some jams,” Aquin coach Todd Kramer said.

Feiner found success switching up pitches for most of the game.

“My dad really preached changing speeds and using that curveball, slider and change-up,” Feiner said. “Just keep them off balance and use your fastball.”

Aquin finished the season with its third straight NUIC-East conference and regional championships en route to a sectional title game. That elusive sectional title was within grasp, but the Bulldogs were on the short side of history.

“For whatever reason it was, it just wasn’t meant to be,” Kramer said. “There were two even teams and I think they’ll represent us well. Unfortunately we came up a little short at the end here.”

The Wildcats advance to the Lisle Supersectional at Benedictine University on Monday and will take on Putnam County. The winner will earn a trip to the state tournament at O’Brien Field in Peoria. According to Knauer, RR/SM has played Putnam County once before and the Wildcats won 8-3.

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“You could tell that they were talented,” Knauer said. “We’ll be confident going against them.”

A win for RR/SM on Monday would be the program’s first state-qualifying team and the NUIC’s fourth ever.

Warren/Stockton (1985), Eastland (2009, 2011) and Lena-Winslow (2012) have also played in the state tournament.